PR23 policy framework initial consultations

Consultation status
Conclusions published
Date of publication
Body
Components

A policy consultation on outcomes, infrastructure performance and managing change and a technical consultation on the measures in our proposed CP7 outcomes framework.

Policy consultation conclusions 

In July 2022, we launched a PR23 policy consultation on outcomes, infrastructure performance and managing change.

We have now published our policy consultation conclusions.

These conclusions set out the policy framework for how we intend to hold the national rail infrastructure manager (currently Network Rail) to account for the outcomes it must deliver for the funding it receives for control period 7 (CP7).

We are presenting our conclusions in the following areas:

  • how we will regulate the infrastructure manager; 
  • the role of stakeholders; 
  • monitoring and enforcement; 
  • the outcomes framework; and 
  • approach to change & flexibility. 

Technical consultation conclusions 

Alongside the policy consultation, we also launched a technical consultation on the measures in our CP7 outcomes framework.

We have now published our technical consultation conclusions.

Consultation responses

Alongside these conclusions we have published the responses to the policy and technical consultations.

Next steps

The PR23 policy framework informs Network Rail’s production of its Strategic Business Plan (SBP) for CP7. Our assessment of the SBP will form the basis of the regional and System Operator settlements in our determination, which we will consult on in June 2023 and issue by 31 October 2023.

We will continue to develop our updated Holding to Account and Managing Change policies for CP7 and will consult on them in spring 2023. We expect to finalise these documents once we have made our final determination.

July 2022 consultations

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Date of publication: 28 July 2022
Closing date: 30 September 2022

Policy consultation on outcomes, infrastructure performance and managing change

In this consultation, we set out the policy framework on how we propose to hold the infrastructure manager for the national rail network to account for the outcomes it must deliver for the funding it receives for the next control period (CP7).

In PR23 we are seeking to simplify our approach, make some improvements in key areas such as outcomes, and as well as looking towards rail reform. We are not proposing to make significant changes, reflecting the range of changes that we did make in our previous review (PR18) to reflect Network Rail’s position as a public-sector organisation with devolved business units. From the lessons we have learned in CP6 to date, including feedback from stakeholders and funders, we have concluded that many of these changes remain appropriate. 

We are presenting proposals in the following areas:

  • how we will regulate the infrastructure manager; 
  • the role of stakeholders; 
  • monitoring and enforcement; 
  • the outcomes framework; and 
  • approach to change & flexibility. 

We are seeking views on these proposals and have made available a consultation proforma which we invite you to use. We will publish our initial conclusions later in 2022 

Technical consultation on the measures in our proposed CP7 outcomes framework

Alongside the above consultation we have published a technical consultation on the measures in our proposed CP7 outcomes framework. We invite your views on the proposed measures that the infrastructure manager should publicly report against.

We have also published our guidance to Network Rail’s Strategic Business Plan, our response to the Department for Transport’s (DfT) consultation on Legislation to Implement Rail Transformation, and an update letter on the periodic review 2023 (PR23). These can be viewed under 'Related publications' below .

Publishing your response

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We plan to publish all responses to this consultation on our website.

Should you wish for any information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that this may be subject to publication, or release to other parties or to disclosure, in accordance with the access to information regimes. These regimes are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

Under the FOIA, there is a statutory code of practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence. In view of this, if you are seeking confidentiality for information you are providing, please explain why. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information, we will take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on ORR.

If you are seeking to make a response in confidence, we would also be grateful if you would annex any confidential information, or provide a non-confidential summary, so that we can publish the non-confidential aspects of your response.

Any personal data you provide to us will be used for the purposes of this consultation and will be handled in accordance with our privacy notice which sets out how we comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

Consent

In responding to this consultation you consent to us:

  • handling your personal data for the purposes of this consultation;
  • publishing your response on our website (unless you have indicated to us that you wish for your response to be treated as confidential as set out above.)

Your consent to either of the above can be withdrawn at any time. Further information about how we handle your personal data and your rights is set out in our privacy notice.

Format of responses

So that we are able to apply web standards to content on our website, we would prefer that you email us your response either in Microsoft Word format or OpenDocument Text (.odt) format. ODT files have a fully open format and do not rely on any specific piece of software.

If you send us a PDF document, please:

  • create it directly from an electronic word-processed file using PDF creation software (rather than as a scanned image of a printout); and
  • ensure that the PDF's security method is set to no security in the document properties.